The present invention relates to apparatus for making sausage by stuffing a stream of meat product into a casing. More particularly, the invention relates to the application of a thin circumferential layer of liquid around the stream of meat product. Preferably, the liquid applied is a liquid smoke composition to thereby provide the flavoring and coloring normally acquired by application of natural smoke, or liquid smoke to the external surface of the sausage casing.
The smoking of sausages has been a common practice for centuries. In the traditional method, sausages that have been stuffed in casings are hung in a smokehouse, i.e. a room which is filled with the selected smoke. As a result, the airborne chemicals seep through the casing and into the external surface of the meat product to thereby achieve the desired flavoring and coloring of the sausage. Naturally, this traditional smoking of sausage is a fairly time and space consuming process.
One development which has been made to improve on the traditional smoking process has involved the use of liquid smoke. In particular, aqueous solutions containing the desired elements from natural smoke have been produced. The liquid smoke has been applied to the external surface of the stuffed casing by spraying the sausages, exposing them to atomized liquid smoke, or by cascading liquid smoke over the sausages. In this way, liquid smoke has been used to impart the flavoring and coloring aspects otherwise achieved by traditional smoking.
Unfortunately however, the spraying of liquid smoke has its disadvantages. For instance, the spraying, atomizing, or cascading of liquid smoke typically produces fumes and excessive waste of the liquid even though it is recycled. Added to this is the fact that liquid smoke is a relatively corrosive liquid which also has a high B.O.D. value. Accordingly, the conventional uses of liquid smoke can have negative impacts on occupational safety and the environment.
In spite of these disadvantages of spraying liquid smoke, it has generally not been feasible to blend the liquid smoke with the meat emulsion before it is stuffed into the casing. Typically, this liquid smoke has a relatively low pH which have made it incompatible with the meat product emulsion. In particular, the emulsion that is commonly used to make hot dogs would break down, i.e. the water and fats would separate, if the liquid smoke were added to it. Also, because a surface treatment is what is generally desired, especially with respect to typical coloring, it has been important to apply the liquid smoke to the external surface of the stuffed casing, rather than adding the liquid smoke directly to the meat emulsion.